An authoritarian rancher, Barbara Stanwyck, who rules an Arizona county with her private posse of hired guns. When a new marshall arrives to set things straight, the cattle queen finds ... See full summary »

Sheriff Sean Kilpatrick is a pacifist. Frank Brand is the leader of a band of killers. When their paths cross Kilpatrick is compelled to go against everything he has stood for to bring ... See full summary »

The undercover cop Rocky Thorpe infiltrates a crime syndicate being run by the incarcerated mob boss John Franklin. Franklin conducts his business via a short-wave radio concealed in his ... See full summary »

Kenji is a small thief who likes drinking and fighting. When he falls in love with sweet and simple Yazue, and she finds out what kind of guy he really is, she leaves him 'until he becomes ... See full summary »

Storyline

While the law hunts him, Jesse James lives quietly in a rented house on the corner of Lafayette and Twenty-first street in St. Joseph, Missouri, under the alias of Tom Howard. His wife Zee begs him to end his association with the Ford brothers. Before they can leave on a "last" bank holdup, Bob learns that his childhood sweetheart, Cynthy Waters, now an actress, is in St. Joe and he brushes aside all caution to see her. Cynthy is beginning to realize that she is a liability to her manager, Harry Kane, because she will not leave Missouri. Meanwhile, John Kelley has come into her life. She pleads with Bob to turn honest. Cynthy tries to get a pardon for Bob, but the best offer she can get is for a 20-year stretch in prison. Then, the Governor offers amnesty and a $10,000 reward to any member of the James gang betraying Jesse. When his chance comes (April 3, 1882)Bob shoots Jesse in the back. He gets the amnesty but the reward is cut to $500. He also loses the love and respect of Cynthy,... Written by
Les Adams <longhorn1939@suddenlink.net>

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Color:

Aspect Ratio:

Did You Know?

Trivia

The skilled gunman who attracts younger opponents who want to defeat him is very commonplace in the world of westerns. This movie is said to be the one that started this trend. See more »

Goofs

When Jesse James goes to straighten the picture on his wall, the opening shot shows the picture slanting down to the right. When the camera angle changes, the picture is slanting up to the right. When the film cuts back to the first angle, the picture is slanting down to the right again. See more »

Quotes

Harry Kane:
What'll you do if he does strike it rich?
Cynthy Waters:
I don't know.
Harry Kane:
I don't remember if it was Shakespeare or Aristotle, but one of them once said, "No one loves the man who he fears."
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

User Reviews

There's nothing in I SHOT JESSE JAMES to raise it above the level of a B-western. JOHN IRELAND has given some good performances in certain roles but he approaches this one in an almost zombie-like mode, especially during the first half of the movie where he ponders thinking about killing Jesse James (REED HADLEY). The film is a fictionalized version of the events surrounding the killing of Jesse James by the coward Bob Ford.

BARBARA BRITTON is attractive as the worried miss who is afraid to tell Bob Ford (Ireland) that she no longer loves him after the James killing. PRESTON FOSTER is the rugged man she tales a shine to after realizing that Bob Ford is jealous of their relationship.

There are obvious signs that the film was made quickly and on the cheap, making good use of small sets and big close-ups of the actors. None of the acting is inspired, so there's little that can be said about the performances in stock roles.

It's a strictly by-the-numbers sort of script that tells what ought to be a taut tale in a slow and cumbersome way with occasional bursts of dramatic music on the soundtrack to make up for the lack of compelling drama in the script.

Nothing distinctive about this one.

3 of 7 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?